Category Archives: Film reviews

Film reviews

Parthenope Review

Leave a comment

“Great actors, like great directors, do the same job. They are great observers of reality.”

-Paolo Sorrentino

Those quotes hold true to the craft of Sorrentino. He is a director that loops in beauty and presence in forms that feel connected to the purest quality. With a blend of dynamics, characterizations, and purpose, artistic craft shines in Parthenope. This film that takes place in Naples, Italy–a country that Sorrentino admires.  The humanistic value here feels vivid in its form of following its main character. With an array of ups and downs, Parthenope leaves marks of the challenges of moments portrayed and lightin the revelations revealed. All of it is through the eyes of the film’s main character…Parthenope (played by Celeste Dalla Porta).

The vibrations of scenery create the flow of Parthenope. As the film’s center, they are gorgeous in capturing the essence of Porta’s most ambitious roles. The plot is diverse, and the setting of Naples sets off a vibrant track. Parthenope is a woman of divine beauty—she has a lovely personality and dazzles the screen of her dynamic life. Continuity strolls through her journey with much to think about. She navigates her life throughher studies in Anthropology. This ties into her connection with her professor Devoto Marrotta (played by Silvio Orlando). She also navigates her companionship with Sandrino (played by Dario Aita) and Raimondo (played by Daniele Rienzo). She also has ambition to take the steps to become an aesthete because of writer John Cheever (played by Gary Oldman). On top of that, she has hopes to become an actress through her connection to Greta Cool (played by Luisa Ranieri). The many loopholes and avenues of Parthenope’s life are a journey of discovery—one that is bold and spellbinding in the thoroughness of Sorrentino’s artistic craft.

From the viewers perspective, it is like the performance of Porta is that of a creature finding open doors to beauty. “Beauty” isblended with light and creates a constructive pattern in Parthenope. The setting of Naples is one where the artistic life of one finding their track is diverse in the pattern of one finding themself. This is a journey that will take the breath away from its audience, especially through the moments where Parthenope questions her beauty and who she loves. They leave the audience to wonder who will benefit her in her journey to find a career or move toward a life that is fulfilling.

From Sorrentino, the presentation of one feeling alive and in the moment weaves the wonders of happiness and contempt into a complex tapestry. The question is where is it rewarding? Is it with her many moments of relationships? Is it with her studies? Is it with the fascinations of thinking of becoming an actress? The diverse range of places and choices are intentionally vast tocreate a correlation of unforgettable meaning.

Love finds new tones of language and empathy in Parthenope. A masterpiece of craftsmanship and looking at life in a warming,heartfelt perspective. The shifting of plateaus leads to unforgettable wonders. It does not dwell on finding a negative pattern, but the choices in Parthenope are bound to make an audacious impression. Four out of four stars for Parthenope.

Film reviews

Love Hurts Review

Leave a comment

When there is a film with Ke Huy Quan, expect it to bring grandeur with mesmerizing characterizations full of personality. His acting makes audiences think back to his role as a child in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He still brings fascination that shines wonderfully on the screen many decades later. His role this time around is as a successful career man trying to deal with many life and death issues. The past, however, is what comes to haunt him. Love Hurts is one-of-a-kind and quirky with excellence. 

Quan plays Marvin Gable, a realtor who has had a life with many deadly trails. He is in the mindset of assuming life is good, but it’s about to get a whole lot worse. As he is navigating his days with his colleagues, fragments of his past come back to him. There are various strange signals, and chances of danger. An anonymous message comes into his life, and from there, Love Hurts spirals. There is a whole lot of negative impactwhich comes on gradually and then accelerates. The instigator of the past scenarios which comes back around for vengeance is Rose Carlisle (played by Ariana DeBose). Another individual that comes into the picture is The Raven (played by Mustafa Shakir). Both characters are part of Marvin’s life before his career achievements. The antagonist is Alvin ‘Knuckles’ Gable (played by Daniel Wu), and he is also Marvin’s brother. A trail of deceit and vengeance grows rapidly and turns into a rollercoaster ride full of genius moments.

Love Hurts is wonderful because of the way fantasy decreases and then increases vividly. It goes from Marvin seeing red flags and then progresses to when Rose comes into the picture. Once Rose comes around, the duo dynamically evolves into scenes which are part of a wild death match of an adventure. The action correlates with having a humorous tone while also being visually enticing. Quan and DeBose are a duo of extravaganza. Love Hurts will dazzle its audiences to the max. It is a new direction that does not have to be taken seriously. Before seeing the movie, I was not expecting much. But it turned out to be more than what I was hoping for. The continued trails of trial and error, and the harsh previous events create a tornado of twists and turns. 

In terms of expectations, I will try to put my comparisons into cinematic terms. Think of John Wick meeting Office Space. Both find a pattern to tie together. John Wick for the action sequences and Office Space for the characters’ personalities. When the scenarios involving conflicts and enemies occur, the movie is filled with a climax like Everything Everywhere All at Once. Quan was in Everything Everywhere All at Once and he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance while the film even won Best Picture. Love Hurts has a lighter, more subtle plot than Everything Everywhere All at Once yet still well worth seeing. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

Heart Eyes Review

Leave a comment

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the color of red which symbolizes love always finds its way into slasher flicks. This is especially true in films where romance takes a drastic turn for the worst which is the case in Heart Eyes. Directed by Josh Rubin, there are elements of joy and humor to go along with this unique title. The movie is neither a terrible nor amazing slasher full of terror, but it is relatively entertaining and fulfilling. With Rubin having credits as a director for Netflix specials and different TV series, his creativity and ability to hold audiences’ attention is on par with arcade fun in Heart Eyes. This movie has moments which feel interactive but not in a way that requires the audience to take it too seriously.  It is a fun thriller to take in for most any type of occasion.

The film’s title refers to a killer known as the “Heart Eyes Killer.” He is a murderer that targets couples on Valentine’s Day. The story begins by taking the audience to a place where true love is being displayed during a proposal. When this killer comes into the scene, the grizzly tone shivers at high level as the stage for murder is set and the loss of innocence spirals. The director is experienced at making his work joyful to watch even when the subject involves death.  

The new targets are a unique pair. The film introduces us to Ally (played by Olivia Holt) and Jay (played by Mason Gooding). They are co-workers doing news work on the night of Valentine’s Day, and they become the new targets of the “Heart Eyes” Killer. The film feels like the setting of a Scream movie. However, it is less violent. Heart Eyes captures the moments when characters try to find the right answers in the suspenseful moments. The film also feels like a puzzle, because thecharacters who play authorities are questionable as well. The two detectives are Detective Hobbs (played by Devon Sawa) and Detective Shaw (played by Jordana Brewster). No, their titles do not relate to the Hobbs and Shaw film, although that is even joked about during the movie. Overall, the film focuses ona group of misfit characters dealing with a killer. The killer’seyes are the shape of hearts, but the hearts signify death. 

I appreciated the cheesiness throughout Heart Eyes. It has a plot that seems predictable, but it does not rely solely on violent tactics to sell the story. The director works to add quirky chemistry between the many characters who are navigating the dangers. A spirit of teamwork in a group of not-so-bright minds is how Heart Eyes lands on an intriguing vibe. The film is kind of like a Hallmark holiday movie filled with both slashes andlaughs. It also succeeds by having an antagonistic tone which keeps the story on track. Hugs and kisses do not see eye-to-eyein Heart Eyes, but the film glows with evil. Two-and-a-half out of four stars for Heart Eyes.